Slow and Steady Wins the Race.
An OU Stall Team
Featuring:
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Introduction:
Hi guys, thanks for clicking on my RMT! This is a team I need help with, because it is the first time I have assembled a stall team and I am relatively inexperienced with this style of team-building. I joined competitive battling early this year, and I typically lean towards teams with a bulky-offensive style. Recently, I began to note the effectiveness of spike-stacking and assembled a few stall-based balanced teams which featured extensive use of entry hazards and phazing. Finally, after reading a few smog articles and various RMTs by acclaimed battlers, I explored further towards the extreme end of the spectrum, culminating in the pure stall team that I’m posting up today.
Despite being a stall team, I also aimed to combat opposing stall teams at the same time, hopefully resulting in a form of anti-stall stall. I originally wanted that to be the name of my RMT until I realized it formed the acronym “ASS”. Oh well.
On to the team!
*Changes will be in BOLD
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Skarmory (F) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/220 Def/36 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Taunt
Although Skarmory is seldom seen as a lead, I have found him to be surprisingly effective, and can almost always secure a layer (and sometimes more!) of spikes before being forced out. Skarmory functions well as a lead for the same reason Panamaxis’ Forretress does – its ability to wall Metagross, Swampert, Jirachi and the like. It works well against Forretress leads too!
The moveset is largely standard and pretty obvious – spikes to rack up residual damage as early as possible, whirlwind to phaze and scout, and roost to keep Skarmory effective as a physical wall. I originally ran brave bird but found it to be largely useless against common leads as well as the pokemon that Skarmory was supposed to wall. In the end I tested taunt and greatly appreciated the ability to shut down opposing stealth rock leads like Swampert and Metagross. Shed shell is used because every single one of my pokemon is important to my team's success, and I cannot to have a Magnezone ruining my day.
36 speed EVs are to outspeed Metagross and other base 70s that invest minimal speed EVs, as well as quiet Dragonite leads (though I don’t like to stay in on them). I maxed out its relatively poor HP stat and dumped the rest into defence, which when coupled with a bold nature provides Skarmory with admirable physical bulk. (Btw, its nature is bold to minimize confusion damage) I didn’t go with the new-fangled specially-defensive spread because I had Blissey and Latias for that, and walling Tyranitar, Scizor etc was more important to me than setting up spikes on Vaporeon and other Blissey.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 200 HP/252 Def/56 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
- Heal Bell
- Seismic Toss
I personally dislike using Blissey, but I had to because I needed a dedicated special wall. Although I am beginning to appreciate how easily she walls special attackers to no end, I think opposing threats like Lucario and Gyarados appreciate the free set-up turns they can get from her even more =(
Wish is her only form of recovery, and it still works fine without protect because I try my best not to let her reach below 70~% of her health and I wouldn’t leave her in on something that OHKOs her anyway. Sometimes I miss the scouting utility of protect (and the ability to avoid explosions from Heatran and Gengar) but all the remaining three moves are important to me. Stealth rock gives Blissey something to do other than sit and wait for an incoming physical threat to scare her out again, and fits on her better than the rest of my team members since she has plenty of chances to come in and set them up. Heal bell gives me the luxury of absorbing random status with any of my team mates and is an extra safety net if I mispredict around sleep powders, and can help Rotom wake up from rest early. Seismic toss is an obligatory move that I find necessary to weaken switch-ins or break the substitutes of Heatran and Latias.
I think I need better EVs for her, but so far they have been working fine. The spread was copied from somebody’s RMT, but since I lack flamethrower or ice beam I moved 52 EVs from SpA to SpD. Anyway 252 in defence and a bold nature along with 200 HP EVs drastically improve her ability to take neutral physical hits, though I would appreciate help to refine this further.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Tentacruel (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP/120 Def/32 Spd/104 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic Spikes
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- HP Electric / Knock Off
Although I did not consider Tentacruel initially for fear that my team would be imitating Obistall, its valuable resistances and ability to clear my side of the field of entry hazards eventually earned its slot. On this team, he helps me check MixApe, Empoleon and a whole lot of random threats, as well as laying down my third and final entry hazards – toxic spikes. One major gripe though, is that it doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to switch in due to the popularity of ground and electric-type moves in OU, and once in I usually can’t stay long enough to get down both layers of toxic spikes or rapid spin.
Anyway, the moveset is simple and logical – toxic spikes and rapid spin have been mentioned, while surf is my STAB move that helps it deal with Infernape and such. After testing HP Electric, I have found it to be more useful than haze has ever been, due to its ability to deal with the bulky waters I wall (with the exception of swampert) as well as preventing Gyarados from setting up on me.
The EVs are standard and ripped from the analysis, apart from the 32 speed EVs transferred from special defence to outspeed jolly Tyranitar and others that aim for that stat (such as modest 216-speed-EV Heatran).
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP/244 Spd/16 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Roar
- Recover
I knew I could not solely rely upon my SkarmBliss core to tank hits for the entire team, especially after reading several guides to wall-breaking (that for a moment made me feel that building a stall team was a bad idea). I also knew I needed to pay special attention to a few famous mixed attackers – Infernape, Salamence and Tyraniboah. JabbaTheGriffin had used a Latias in his semi-stall team and I wanted to try it out for myself. It has worked very well so far, being able to outspeed all three and KO the former two. It also helps tank neutral special hits with its base 130 SpD, and pick off slower threats if necessary. I also considered Starmie, which was similarly able to outspeed them, but it was too frail for my liking. Latias’ levitate also allows me to avoid the deadly spikes and toxic spikes =)
Dragon pulse is needed to deal with Salamence and Infernape, while HP Fire found its way into the moveset to KO unsuspecting Scizor as well as to revenge-kill any Lucario. The instant 50% regained from recover is also vital for Latias to do its job well. After testing roar over reflect, I was very pleased with it, and have changed it personally. It adds another phazer to the team, and with prediction can save it from Tyranitar's crunching/pursuing teeth.
Since I’m running HP Fire, I thought that there was little point maxing speed since I would be losing against opposing Gengar and Latias, both of which I have checks for anyway. Therefore I lowered it to beat max speed Infernape, put 248 into HP to maximize my defences (and minimize residual damage), and the rest into SpA.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Rotom-w @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/68 Def/188 Spd
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Will-o-wisp
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
No stall team is complete without a spin blocker, or a status-absorber, and Rotom checks those two for me. Originally I wanted Spiritomb instead, simply because I didn’t want Forretress to pay me back and proceed to spin freely. =/ In the end Rotom won me over with its resistances and the all-important levitate, in addition to its ability to outspeed SD Lucario, which otherwise can be a bitch. I chose the washing machine because I felt like scaring away any Heatran looking for a flash fire boost, and didn’t to encourage Tyranitar to switch in.
Thunderbolt and Will-o-wisp are standard on the rest talker because they help Rotom take on Gyarados and Scizor easily. Even on a team with toxic spikes, I have found the burn support to be very useful.
The EVs look kind of weird but they give me pretty good physical bulk while still allowing me to outspeed adamant Lucario to burn or KO it before it crunches me. Sometimes I find the spread slightly underwhelming when CB Scizor spams u-turn on me or LO Starmie 2HKOs me with hydro pump, but without the timid nature and speed EVs I think Lucario would greatly damage my team before Latias stops it with hidden power.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Metagross @ Choice Band
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 220 HP/252 Atk/36 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Trick
Finally, although Metagross seriously does look out of place in a stall team (especially a banded one), it is my answer to bulky “last-pokemon” stat-up sweepers like Crocune and Curselax, has great resistances and synergy, and checks many threats like Weavile and Tyranitar with its powerful priority. I knew stall teams had to have a way to deal with baton passing teams as well as cursing/calm minding “last pokemon” who could not be phazed. While the common solution for many is perish song, I could not find a competent user of the move other than celebi, who added many unwanted weaknesses and overlapped with Latias and Rotom. I thought of alternatives such as taunt, encore, trick-choice and explosion, and eventually settled on the latter two, since 1) the chances to use them came easily, 2) they had utility outside of dealing with last pokemon and 3) few would sense it coming after seeing the rest of my team (hopefully).
Anyway, priority is great even on a stall team because I can pick off threats that I simply don’t want to handle, like speed-upping Salamence, Tyranitar or whatever. Earthquake is a general coverage move that is mostly filler and I’m currently considering zen headbutt for secondary STAB as well as its ability to take on substitute Machamp, which is currently a pain in the buttocks. Explosion and trick form the crux of this set, and I have both because I can use them to cripple up two members from the opposing team, or screw up the strategies of opposing stall teams.
The EVs are pretty simple, max attack with adamant because I wouldn’t like to miss a KO on a cursed Snorlax and let it rest back up. 36 speed EVs allow it to outspeed now-standard specially defensive Skarmory along with the rest of the base 70s (and speedy Tyranitar), while the rest go into HP to maximize bulk. If there’s an alternative spread which forsakes some power for greater lasting power I would adopt it immediately, because this Metagross needs to take some hits for the team while lasting until late game to serve its primary purpose.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
As a final note, all my pokemon except Metagross have 0 IVs in attack to reduce confusion damage (and Latias has 6 attack Ivs due to hidden power), and are either female or genderless to avoid attract.
That’s the team! I hope you enjoyed the read, and comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
An OU Stall Team
Featuring:
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Introduction:
Hi guys, thanks for clicking on my RMT! This is a team I need help with, because it is the first time I have assembled a stall team and I am relatively inexperienced with this style of team-building. I joined competitive battling early this year, and I typically lean towards teams with a bulky-offensive style. Recently, I began to note the effectiveness of spike-stacking and assembled a few stall-based balanced teams which featured extensive use of entry hazards and phazing. Finally, after reading a few smog articles and various RMTs by acclaimed battlers, I explored further towards the extreme end of the spectrum, culminating in the pure stall team that I’m posting up today.
Despite being a stall team, I also aimed to combat opposing stall teams at the same time, hopefully resulting in a form of anti-stall stall. I originally wanted that to be the name of my RMT until I realized it formed the acronym “ASS”. Oh well.
On to the team!
*Changes will be in BOLD
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Skarmory (F) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/220 Def/36 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Taunt
Although Skarmory is seldom seen as a lead, I have found him to be surprisingly effective, and can almost always secure a layer (and sometimes more!) of spikes before being forced out. Skarmory functions well as a lead for the same reason Panamaxis’ Forretress does – its ability to wall Metagross, Swampert, Jirachi and the like. It works well against Forretress leads too!
The moveset is largely standard and pretty obvious – spikes to rack up residual damage as early as possible, whirlwind to phaze and scout, and roost to keep Skarmory effective as a physical wall. I originally ran brave bird but found it to be largely useless against common leads as well as the pokemon that Skarmory was supposed to wall. In the end I tested taunt and greatly appreciated the ability to shut down opposing stealth rock leads like Swampert and Metagross. Shed shell is used because every single one of my pokemon is important to my team's success, and I cannot to have a Magnezone ruining my day.
36 speed EVs are to outspeed Metagross and other base 70s that invest minimal speed EVs, as well as quiet Dragonite leads (though I don’t like to stay in on them). I maxed out its relatively poor HP stat and dumped the rest into defence, which when coupled with a bold nature provides Skarmory with admirable physical bulk. (Btw, its nature is bold to minimize confusion damage) I didn’t go with the new-fangled specially-defensive spread because I had Blissey and Latias for that, and walling Tyranitar, Scizor etc was more important to me than setting up spikes on Vaporeon and other Blissey.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 200 HP/252 Def/56 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Wish
- Stealth Rock
- Heal Bell
- Seismic Toss
I personally dislike using Blissey, but I had to because I needed a dedicated special wall. Although I am beginning to appreciate how easily she walls special attackers to no end, I think opposing threats like Lucario and Gyarados appreciate the free set-up turns they can get from her even more =(
Wish is her only form of recovery, and it still works fine without protect because I try my best not to let her reach below 70~% of her health and I wouldn’t leave her in on something that OHKOs her anyway. Sometimes I miss the scouting utility of protect (and the ability to avoid explosions from Heatran and Gengar) but all the remaining three moves are important to me. Stealth rock gives Blissey something to do other than sit and wait for an incoming physical threat to scare her out again, and fits on her better than the rest of my team members since she has plenty of chances to come in and set them up. Heal bell gives me the luxury of absorbing random status with any of my team mates and is an extra safety net if I mispredict around sleep powders, and can help Rotom wake up from rest early. Seismic toss is an obligatory move that I find necessary to weaken switch-ins or break the substitutes of Heatran and Latias.
I think I need better EVs for her, but so far they have been working fine. The spread was copied from somebody’s RMT, but since I lack flamethrower or ice beam I moved 52 EVs from SpA to SpD. Anyway 252 in defence and a bold nature along with 200 HP EVs drastically improve her ability to take neutral physical hits, though I would appreciate help to refine this further.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Tentacruel (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP/120 Def/32 Spd/104 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Toxic Spikes
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- HP Electric / Knock Off
Although I did not consider Tentacruel initially for fear that my team would be imitating Obistall, its valuable resistances and ability to clear my side of the field of entry hazards eventually earned its slot. On this team, he helps me check MixApe, Empoleon and a whole lot of random threats, as well as laying down my third and final entry hazards – toxic spikes. One major gripe though, is that it doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to switch in due to the popularity of ground and electric-type moves in OU, and once in I usually can’t stay long enough to get down both layers of toxic spikes or rapid spin.
Anyway, the moveset is simple and logical – toxic spikes and rapid spin have been mentioned, while surf is my STAB move that helps it deal with Infernape and such. After testing HP Electric, I have found it to be more useful than haze has ever been, due to its ability to deal with the bulky waters I wall (with the exception of swampert) as well as preventing Gyarados from setting up on me.
The EVs are standard and ripped from the analysis, apart from the 32 speed EVs transferred from special defence to outspeed jolly Tyranitar and others that aim for that stat (such as modest 216-speed-EV Heatran).
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Latias (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP/244 Spd/16 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Roar
- Recover
I knew I could not solely rely upon my SkarmBliss core to tank hits for the entire team, especially after reading several guides to wall-breaking (that for a moment made me feel that building a stall team was a bad idea). I also knew I needed to pay special attention to a few famous mixed attackers – Infernape, Salamence and Tyraniboah. JabbaTheGriffin had used a Latias in his semi-stall team and I wanted to try it out for myself. It has worked very well so far, being able to outspeed all three and KO the former two. It also helps tank neutral special hits with its base 130 SpD, and pick off slower threats if necessary. I also considered Starmie, which was similarly able to outspeed them, but it was too frail for my liking. Latias’ levitate also allows me to avoid the deadly spikes and toxic spikes =)
Dragon pulse is needed to deal with Salamence and Infernape, while HP Fire found its way into the moveset to KO unsuspecting Scizor as well as to revenge-kill any Lucario. The instant 50% regained from recover is also vital for Latias to do its job well. After testing roar over reflect, I was very pleased with it, and have changed it personally. It adds another phazer to the team, and with prediction can save it from Tyranitar's crunching/pursuing teeth.
Since I’m running HP Fire, I thought that there was little point maxing speed since I would be losing against opposing Gengar and Latias, both of which I have checks for anyway. Therefore I lowered it to beat max speed Infernape, put 248 into HP to maximize my defences (and minimize residual damage), and the rest into SpA.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Rotom-w @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/68 Def/188 Spd
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Will-o-wisp
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
No stall team is complete without a spin blocker, or a status-absorber, and Rotom checks those two for me. Originally I wanted Spiritomb instead, simply because I didn’t want Forretress to pay me back and proceed to spin freely. =/ In the end Rotom won me over with its resistances and the all-important levitate, in addition to its ability to outspeed SD Lucario, which otherwise can be a bitch. I chose the washing machine because I felt like scaring away any Heatran looking for a flash fire boost, and didn’t to encourage Tyranitar to switch in.
Thunderbolt and Will-o-wisp are standard on the rest talker because they help Rotom take on Gyarados and Scizor easily. Even on a team with toxic spikes, I have found the burn support to be very useful.
The EVs look kind of weird but they give me pretty good physical bulk while still allowing me to outspeed adamant Lucario to burn or KO it before it crunches me. Sometimes I find the spread slightly underwhelming when CB Scizor spams u-turn on me or LO Starmie 2HKOs me with hydro pump, but without the timid nature and speed EVs I think Lucario would greatly damage my team before Latias stops it with hidden power.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Metagross @ Choice Band
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 220 HP/252 Atk/36 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Trick
Finally, although Metagross seriously does look out of place in a stall team (especially a banded one), it is my answer to bulky “last-pokemon” stat-up sweepers like Crocune and Curselax, has great resistances and synergy, and checks many threats like Weavile and Tyranitar with its powerful priority. I knew stall teams had to have a way to deal with baton passing teams as well as cursing/calm minding “last pokemon” who could not be phazed. While the common solution for many is perish song, I could not find a competent user of the move other than celebi, who added many unwanted weaknesses and overlapped with Latias and Rotom. I thought of alternatives such as taunt, encore, trick-choice and explosion, and eventually settled on the latter two, since 1) the chances to use them came easily, 2) they had utility outside of dealing with last pokemon and 3) few would sense it coming after seeing the rest of my team (hopefully).
Anyway, priority is great even on a stall team because I can pick off threats that I simply don’t want to handle, like speed-upping Salamence, Tyranitar or whatever. Earthquake is a general coverage move that is mostly filler and I’m currently considering zen headbutt for secondary STAB as well as its ability to take on substitute Machamp, which is currently a pain in the buttocks. Explosion and trick form the crux of this set, and I have both because I can use them to cripple up two members from the opposing team, or screw up the strategies of opposing stall teams.
The EVs are pretty simple, max attack with adamant because I wouldn’t like to miss a KO on a cursed Snorlax and let it rest back up. 36 speed EVs allow it to outspeed now-standard specially defensive Skarmory along with the rest of the base 70s (and speedy Tyranitar), while the rest go into HP to maximize bulk. If there’s an alternative spread which forsakes some power for greater lasting power I would adopt it immediately, because this Metagross needs to take some hits for the team while lasting until late game to serve its primary purpose.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
As a final note, all my pokemon except Metagross have 0 IVs in attack to reduce confusion damage (and Latias has 6 attack Ivs due to hidden power), and are either female or genderless to avoid attract.
That’s the team! I hope you enjoyed the read, and comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
